Milk-can lock.



No. 654,567. Patented July 24, I900. R. J. W. HAMILL.

MILK CAN LOCK.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1900.)

(No, Model.)

invent 01 $020.16 1% 76mm,

} Wttnesses'.

wire

ROBERT J. w. nAMitL, on nAnrit roan MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR or onn HALF TO GEORGE W. EVANS, or SAME PLACE;

MILK CAN Look.

'srncirrearron arming part of Letters Patent No. 654,567, dated July 24, 1900.

Application filed March 28} 1900- Serial No. 10i (N0 model-3 To alt whom it may concern-r Be it known that I, ROBERT J. W. HAMIL'L, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Can Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a milk-can lock which will prevent the cover being opened by an unauthorized person without the fact being known. I

The invention is shown in the drawings herewith, in which Figure l is a diametrical section of the cover of the milk-can. Fig. 2 is a horizontal seetion of the cover on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the collar of the milk-can on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper part of a milkcan the cover of which is removed. Fig. 5 shows two views of the locking-bolt. Fig. 6 is a side view of a part of the cover and shows the slotted paper-retaining plate. Fig. 7 is a section View, on an enlarged scale, of the bolt-tube which is attached across the canmouth.

The cover lock may be applied to milk-cans of any construction.

The can A has a metal collar B surrounding the neck 0, and at diametrically-opposite sides the collar has circuinferentially-extending right-angled grooves (1, one branch of which opens upward at the rim edge of the collar and the other branch of which has an inclined upper edge 01. The locking-bolt F is movable endwise in a tube e, secured crosswise of the can-mouth. Both ends of the tube open through to the outside of the collar B, but fit tight in the collar to prevent leakage. The locking bolt has one end beveled, as at g, to engage with the cover, a spring h keeping it shot or projected, and the other end has suitable meanst' for engage ment of a hook or other instrument by which to draw the bolt back and disengage it. The tube c has within it a sleeve or bushing made in two separate sections j j, and the bolt F moves in the said sleeve. The two sleeve sections do not join, but are separated at the middle of the tube, and a space is thereby left for the spiral spring 7t, which surrounds 0" between the plate (1 and said rim 'n.

the bolt. One end of the spiral spring bears against two lugs on the bolt, which are at the said middle space, and at the other end the spring bears against the end of the sleevesectionj. This construction insures that the spring 71 will keep the bolt normally in the projected position and also that the lugs 75 will prevent the bolt from projecting too far.

The m-ilk-can cover L is to fit down over the can-collar '13. The cover may have a suitable gasket at m to fit on the rim edge of the collar and prevent leakage of milk in case the can should he accidentally upset. The down-flange n of the cover has on its inner side two lugs o, diametrically placed, so as to enter the upper open ends of the two rightangled grooves (31 on the collar B. When the cover L is placed over the open neck C, these lugs 0 enter the upward branch of the grooves 01, and when the cover is fully down it should be partly rotated to cause the said lugs 0 to pass along the horizontal branch of the grooves at, whose upper edge d is inclined. This inclination serves to draw the cover down tightly. The inner side of the downflange n of the cover has a series of serrated teeth or notches g with which the beveled end g of the bolt engages for looking. These teeth or notches are pitched, so as to slip past theloeveled end of the spring-pressed bolt when the cover is being partly rotated, and when the cover becomes tight the said bolt remains engaged with one tooth or notch, and the cover is thereby securely locked.

To prevent any tampering with the bolt ends after the cover has been locked, two segment-flanges g z" are secured to the neckcollar B immediately below the open ends of the bolt-tube e. The lower edge of the downfiange n of the cover will thus be in close relation to said segment-flanges. The segmentflange g guards the beveled end g of the bolt, and the other segment-flange e" guards the hook end i. i

The down-flange n of the cover has a slot 13, and a plate'q, also provided with a slot 10, is riveted onto the down-flange, so that the two slots 1) p are coincident. At its top edge the plate q fits tightly to the rim n of the cover, but at its bottom edge there is a slit or creyice See Fig. 1.) This slit or crevice permits the insertion of a slip of paper before the cover is placed on the milk-can The slip of paper will conceal that open end of the tube 8' Where the hook end i of the bolt is located.

In order to unlock the can, the end of a suitable hook or otherinstrument (not shown) is to be inserted through the slot 19 and puncture the slip of paper, and said instrument will engage the notch i on the bolt end, and then by drawing back on the instrument the bolt F maybe retracted to disengage its bev Patent, is

1. The combination of a milk-can collar having circumferentially-extending grooves; a tube secured crosswise of the collar and having both ends open through to the outer sides of the collar; a locking-bolt'movable endwise in said tube and one end normally projecting; and a cover which takes over the milk-can collar and having lugs to engage the said oircumferentially-extending grooves and provided with teeth or notches with which the said projecting bolt end engages.

' 2. The combination of a milk-can collar having cireumferentially-extendi11g grooves; a tube secured crosswise of the collar and having both ends open through to the outer sides of the collar; a locking-bolt movable endwise in said tube and having its front end 7 beveled and its back end provided with means for retraction; a spring in the said tube to project the beveled end of the bolt at one end of the tube; and a cover which takes over the milk-can collar and having lugs to engage the said circumferentially-extending grooves and provided with teeth or notches with which the said beveled end of the bolt engages, and also'provided with a slot to afiord access of a suitable instrument to the back end of the bolt to effect its retraction.

3. The combination of a milk-can collar having circumferentially-extending grooves; a tube secured crosswise of the collar and having both ends open through tothe outer sides of the collar; a sleeve in said tube made in two sections separate at the middle, the separation forming a space in the tube; a locking-bolt having two lugs, 70, which are at said space the bolt beinglmovable in said sleeve and one end projecting; a spiral spring surrounding the bolt at the middle space and bearing against the lugs on the bolt and against the end of one sleeve-section; and a cover which takes over the milk-can collar and having lugs to engage the said circumferentially-extending grooves and provided with teeth or notches with which the said projecting bolt end engages.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. W. IIAMILL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, J12, CHARLES L. VIETsoH. 

